Local engineering solutions company SureGO officially installed its demon- stration installation for its patented innovative floating bridge solution at the Richards Bay Ski Boat Club, in KwaZulu-Natal, earlier this month, with plans to further promote the innovation in Mozambique.
The SureGO Walk, a bridge solution, was created for the engineering and mining industries and aims to improve the safety of walkway bridges.
The bridge is designed with uninterruptible flooring, railing and roofing for any position, even while it changes direction. This is useful in water applications, as the bridge can change direction horizontally to 360º while adapting to changing water levels.
It can also be used during the construction of roads and bridges when sand, mud or swamp surfaces have to be crossed.
SureGO designer and patent holder Tex Neveling says the bridge can be designed to last longer than ten years and it can be stored and reused.
“The results from the demonstration installation at the Ski Boat Club show that the motion of the bridge on the water while walking over it was smooth. The load distribution and free bore were also better than we expected and we will continue testing,” he says.
SureGO has also appointed agents in Mozambique to promote the bridge concept and to find possible applications for future projects. The agents are obtaining information from possible locations to allow for the creation of proactive designs.
Meanwhile, Neveling adds, there are employment benefits, as the bridge’s fabrication process does not require specialised skills.
SureGO will inspect all bridges it installs on a regular basis, which includes maintenance and servicing.
In support of SureGO’s design philosophy, modular units can be fabricated in South Africa for export to other countries.
Further, the SureGO Walk bridge solution can be used in water sampling and plant harvesting in catchment dams where stormwater from suburbs is collected.
This system provides a safe work platform for the workers, with uninterrupted walkways for the removal of plants using wheelbarrows. As the walkway changes profile, new harvest and sampling areas can be reached.
SureGO is also working on the creation of the SureGO Drive, a vehicle bridge, which the company is designing for quick deployment during unforeseen circumstances for use by a disaster management team.